Gearhart City Council incumbent Kerry Smith leads challenger Jack Zimmerman at the polls after unofficial returns. Smith garnered almost 70 percent of the vote.

Paulina Cockrum won re-election to the second open seat, running unopposed for Position 3.

“I would like to thank the voters of Gearhart for giving me the opportunity to represent them again,” Smith said Tuesday night. “I appreciate their faith in my work and what I have accomplished in the last four years. I believe it is vitally important for the people of Gearhart to work together to solve the issues.”

Smith is an independent contractor and has lived in Gearhart for 33 years. He started his own business 26 years ago and primarily has done home remodels in Gearhart and Seaside. Smith has served as Gearhart city councilor since 2014. He is a certified emergency response team — National CERT program member. “I will endeavor to preserve the residential and small-town feel of Gearhart,” he said during the campaign. “And I will strive to assist the community and our governing officials in a responsible and well-thought-out way.”

Smith called a new fire station the city’s most important concern. The existing station, built in 1958 and liable to collapse and flood during a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami, is the topic of years of conversation.

“Thank you to the many people who helped me with my campaign,” Smith said Tuesday night. “I am proud of the way we all approached the process in an honest and meaningful way. As we move forward, I renew my commitment to listening to my constituents and directing Gearhart in a positive direction.”

Cockrum, a Gearhart resident since 1976, served on the Planning Commission before her appointment to the council in 2015. Gearhart City Council 2015 to present, by appointment. Her goal is to “practice stewardship and work to make Gearhart a better place when I leave than when I started.